Kingston is a city of about 23,436 people in Ulster County, New York, at 60 m (197 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:15 AM and sets at 6:08 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:30 PM – 6:26 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:22 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 09m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Kingston
At Kingston the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
Best photo spots near Kingston
178 photo locations lie within 80 km of Kingston. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Kingston is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Oxbow Lake, about 173 km (108 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxbow Lake | Lake | 173 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Pleasant | Lake | 175 km (109 mi) | 2 |
| Austin Falls | Waterfall | 177 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| T Lake Falls | Waterfall | 177 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Christine Falls | Waterfall | 178 km (111 mi) | 2 |
| Snowy Mountain | Mountain Peak | 200 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Buttermilk Falls | Waterfall | 99 km (62 mi) | 3 |
| Judds Falls | Waterfall | 117 km (72 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:28 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 12:37 AM – 3:37 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| June | 10:46 PM – 3:06 AM | 4.3 | 19° |
| July | 10:36 PM – 1:46 AM | 3.2 | 19° |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:45 PM | 2.0 | 18° |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:43 PM | 1.0 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (65%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.